Yellow Ribbon Handicap – GII

DMR                    Race #5             1 1/16m            Turf       Graded Stake

Purse $200.000  For Fillies And Mares Three Years Old And Upward.

🐎 1 — Ginger Gem

Form

Her 2026 form is honest but plateaued: 89–91 figures repeatedly, competitive but not threatening graded winners. She’s been finishing evenly rather than accelerating late.

Work Pattern

• 20 Jul PRX — 1m turf — 1:35.1 (H)
• 14 Jul PRX — 1m turf — 1:35.1 (H)
• 6 Jul MTH — 1m turf — 1:35 (H)

These are steady maintenance works, not sharpeners. Three straight 1-mile turf moves at essentially identical times suggest she’s fit but not improving.

Summary

Solid conditioning, but no sign of a forward move. Form and works both say “minor award only.”

🐎 2 — Mind Trip

Form

Ultra-consistent mare with 92–95 figures in her last three. She’s in form, but her wins come at N4X/allowance level — she tends to flatten slightly when stepping into graded company.

Work Pattern

• 3 Aug MTH — 1m turf — 1:34.4 (H)
• 25 Jun MTH — 1m turf — 1:35.3 (H)
• 21 Jun MTH — 6f dirt — 1:11.4 (H)

The 1:34.4 mile turf work is her best in months — a sign she’s holding her form. But she lacks the explosive 5f/6f turf works typical of a mare ready to jump into GII winning form.

Summary

Form is good, works are steady, but not sharp enough to suggest a breakthrough.

🐎 3 — Neon Era

Form

Lightly raced and improving, but her ceiling is 86–93 — well below the top mares. Her PEN allowance win was visually strong but came against modest company.

Work Pattern

• 25 Jul MTH — 5f turf — :58 (H)
• 6 Jul MTH — 1m turf — 1:35.1 (H)

The :58 turf work is legitimately fast — the best single work in the field. But one bullet doesn’t compensate for the class gap.

Summary

Work pattern says “sharp,” form says “outclassed.”

🐎 4 — Jury Pool

Form

A mare in a major form upswing: three wins from five starts this year, figures 91–95, and her last two turf runs were her best ever. She’s peaking.

Work Pattern

• 23 Jul GP — 6f turf — 1:09.4 (H)
• 27 Jun AQU — 5f turf — :57.4 (H)

These are elite-level turf works — both fast, both professional, both indicating she’s thriving. The :57.4 at AQU is a monster move.

Summary

Form cycle rising + blistering turf works = genuine win threat.

🐎 5 — Rusti

Form

The most reliable graded mare in the field. Figures 92–96 all season, tactical speed, and a GIII win at CD. She rarely runs a bad race.

Work Pattern

• 4 Aug DMR — 6f turf — 1:09.4 (H)
• 17 Jul PRX — 6f turf — 1:09.3 (H)
• 25 May CD — 6f turf — 1:10.1 (H)

Three consecutive sub‑1:10 turf works, including one at Del Mar, is exactly what you want to see. She’s fit, sharp, and acclimated.

Summary

Best combination of class, form, and work pattern. The mare to beat.

🐎 6 — Grand Design

Form

Explosive front-running mare with a recent 96 in the Royal North (GIII). She’s dangerous when she clears off early.

Work Pattern

• 1 Aug DMR — 5f turf — :57.4 (H)
• 18 Jul DMR — 7f turf — 1:22 (H)
• 8 Jul LS — 6f turf — 1:09.4 (H)

This is the best work pattern in the race:

• A :57.4 turf bullet at Del Mar
• A 1:22 turf stamina work
• A 1:09.4 sharpener

She’s absolutely flying.

Summary

Works say she’s ready to fire a career-best. If she gets the lead, she may not come back.

Overall Race Summary

With the race type being a handicap, it is strange that the weights are actually the least significant thing about the race. Here we have a field of decent types that haven’t been able to really sustain any sort of form at this type level, but today get the chance to put a serious trophy on their resume. I think Ginger Gem is probably the most accomplished of the field although that isn’t saying much and it may pay to be looking for something that is taking a step up its improvement curve. Rusty and Grand Design have that look about them although they are both drawn wide so maybe the nicely drawn Mind Trip who has shown improvement on the work track may be the one at possible decent odds.

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES